Trades
by The Atomic Cafe
Summary: Character Death. Always watch your scene carefully.


**Trades**

**By Dimgwrthien**

_Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: NY or affiliates._

_Hands lightly touched each other. It wasn't an intimate touch as it would have looked from far away, but a harsh trade-off. The two men brushed themselves close, only letting themselves pass along a wrapped package. _

_The receiver gave a stiff nod down the road, where another man nodded in return. No one between any of these men seemed to notice their quick codes. The passer flicked a finger to his nose, as though brushing the rounded tip of it._

_Another man down the street nodded again, then raised a quick hand as though in greeting. The receiver smiled and joined him a moment later._

_"Got it out?" the man who had stood at the end of the street asked as they walked along the busy road._

_"All done. I've never made a bad delivery in my life. You know that."_

-

"Sometimes you guys made me want to apply to be an investigator." Adam looked around the darkened room and set down a kit. "You know that?"

"You should apply then." Hawkes stood next to him and set down his own kit. He kneeled to open it. "I did, and I still don't regret it."

"Are you planning to?" Stella joked. She already had her gloves half-way on. "You know, Adam, we get big cases like this every once in a while. It'd be nice to have another person join us."

"Nah. I think I'd rather test things." Adam looked around the ceiling, taking in the dimmed-out lights and scratched walls. "I can't imagine being stuck in here all the time."

"Hey, we do testing, too." Stella grinned. "It's just a little different from the lab, right?"

Adam snorted.

"Stella." She turned as she heard her name called, then grinned as Mac walked in. He paused as he looked around as Adam had. "Been here long?"

"Nope. Just got here." She waved her hands, where the fingers of the gloves still draped loosely. She pulled them all the way on. "And we brought some help."

Mac looked at Adam and smiled. "Bring the tripod?"

Adam nodded. "Yeah, sir. I love working with that thing." At Mac's sideways glance, he corrected himself. "Mac. Sorry, Mac."

"Don't even bother, Adam," Mac said with a sigh, but Adam couldn't help but notice the small smile still on his face.

Adam grinned in return and pulled out the tripod from his case. He unfolded it carefully, watching where each of the legs hit on the ground. The others, meanwhile, opened their kits and started to walk around the room, surveying it.

"They took the body to the morgue just before we got here," Stella said. "Danny and Lindsay were on it before. Figured it was a hard case, so…" Stella glanced at Mac. "I asked them to wait until you got here before working on it."

Mac paused. "Alright," he said. "Call them, would you? Put them on a new case, and say we'll call them if we need their help."

Stella nodded and left the room.

Mac bent back down and shone his flashlight into the cracks of the floorboards. They were far away, and the floor was covered with muddy footprints. Maybe something could have fallen down there to give them a clue.

"Shit," the other two heard Mac whisper quietly.

Adam perked up and let go of the tripod. "Mac?"

"Hawkes." Mac still didn't look away from the floorboards. "Come over here."

Hawkes set down the leg of a broken chair and walked over to Mac. Adam followed, unsure of what was going on. Hawkes shone his light at Mac's face, though Mac still didn't turn away from the floorboards.

"What is it?" Hawkes asked, kneeling down. Adam remained above them, still craning his neck to see.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Mac adjusted his light so that his and Hawkes' reflected the same thing. Adam could only make out two rectangular packages until the light reflected silver numbers.

Hawkes' jaw tensed, and he moved back an inch. "Should we call in for backup?"

Mac stood up quickly, nearly hitting Adam, who jumped quickly out of the way. Mac didn't seem to notice. "Grab Stella. Head outside and call from there. Hopefully it's a false alarm."

Hawkes moved quickly around Adam to get out of the room, already reaching for his phone. Mac bent slightly to look between the floorboards again.

"What is it?" Adam asked as he leaned around Mac.

Mac moved his flashlight as he had for Hawkes, and Adam got a clearer view. "A camera and what may be a bomb," Mac answered in a low voice. He glanced at the doorway. "Go outside, alright?"

Adam didn't move. "I'm not if you're not."

He couldn't see Mac's face, but the anger was present in his voice. "Adam, I'm not going until I manage to grab this camera, and I refuse to until you leave the room."

Still not moving, Adam asked, "Why do I have to leave for you to?"

"Because it's on." Mac looked over his shoulder. "If someone's recording, they'll know I'm picking it up, and there's a chance the owner is also the bomb owner."

Adam took a step back, but had no intentions of leaving the room. "I'm backup, Mac."

Mac threw Adam an annoyed look, but seemed to give up on warning him. He grabbed at the wobbling floorboards, then levered them up, tearing up part of the floor. He stuck his hands behind the cracks and grabbed the camera.

"Got it?" Adam asked. His feet and hands twitched anxiously as he watched Mac. He wanted to run out of the room.

Mac nodded and quickly stepped back from the bomb. Adam could see the red light flashing on the 'record' button.

"Move," Mac said suddenly, shoving Adam to the door. Adam stumbled, then started to run out. Mac followed a few steps behind him, and their feet thudded against the decaying floor.

Adam stopped outside, where he saw Hawkes still on the phone and Stella standing with her eyes wide. She let out a breath when the two exited.

Hawkes gave them a curious look, though he didn't get off the phone. Mac held up the camera, and Hawkes grinned.

Stella stepped forward. "What's that?"

Adam took a few steps closer to Stella, still throwing backwards glances at the building. It didn't seem so ominous now, outside on the surprisingly empty and brightly-lit street.

Mac passed the camera to Stella, who looked it over. She noticed the record button and pressed it, stopping the recording. "Think we can play it back?" she asked. "Maybe give us a clue as to who left it?"

"Sure." Mac took the camera back and searched it for a moment for a screen.

Adam took the camera from him. "Could I? I used to have one of these." He opened the flap, then turned the video on. "Love using these."

"What don't you?" Mac asked, smiling. "Go ahead."

Adam pressed the play button and held it so that the group could see it clearly. The image was dark for a moment, then brightened into a clearer picture. They leaned in closer to get a better look at the blurry picture.

A man held the camera as he placed it between the floorboards. He moved quickly, his gloves fingers covering the lens to hide himself. Only part of the picture was obstructed by the boards, and they could clearly see him give a second look to the camera before running to a door and shutting it after himself. It wasn't the same one they had entered through.

"No one checked behind there," Stella said, looking back to the door.

Mac motioned to Adam, who fast forwarded through the film. The next change in frame they saw were officers entering the room, then Stella, Hawkes, and Adam. Adam pressed the pause button.

"Should we check in there?" Mac asked, joining Stella in looking at the building.

Hawkes replaced his cell phone on his belt. "We're getting some backup in a few minutes. I think it's fine."

Mac nodded at the others, then walked to the door and opened it. They followed.

The room was just as dark and muggy as before. The forgotten tripod in the middle of the room caught Adam's eye, and he rushed for it.

"Can't believe I left this," he said with a smile. "Should I finish pictures?"

Mac shook his head. "That can wait a minute. Threat before the scene."

Adam nodded and waited awkwardly. Mac held a hand to his holster as he neared the closed door. Stella and Hawkes stood behind him. Adam looked around, then took a step back.

Mac touched the doorknob, then let go. He motioned for the other two to step back, which they did quickly, and then shifted to aim his shoulder at the door. Mac rammed it hard with his shoulder, causing a harsh splintering noise from the frame.

Even though the door wasn't broken through, it fell open. Mac stepped back quickly, confused, then pulled his gun from his holster when a man exited the locked room. The man held a portable television in one hand and a gun in his other. He aimed it between each of the people.

"Put the gun down," Mac said, and Adam could see Stella and Hawkes pull guns out on the man.

The man dropped the television onto the floor. The last image from the camera was on there before it faded out. He didn't drop the gun, but grabbed a walkie-talkie on his belt and yelled into it, "Need you guys!"

"NYPD!" Stella yelled as the man dropped the walkie-talkie. "Put the gun down!"

He dropped the gun and raised his hands before looking nervously out the door.

"Don't look there," Stella demanded. "Look at me."

The man looked her in the eye.

"Better. What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer.

Mac gave Stella a sideways look, then moved forward and picked up the fallen gun. He kept his eyes on the man as he felt it out, then quickly moved back and handed the gun to Adam.

"Come with me," he whispered to Adam, who held the gun awkwardly and followed Mac. Stella and Hawkes remained with the man, and Stella's voice faded as they left the room.

"What're we doing?" Adam asked quietly as they moved into the hallway. Mac still held his gun partially up, keeping it at an angle to the ground and wall.

"He called in for someone. We're finding them before they find him."

Adam nodded as he looked down the hall. "Mac?"

Mac nodded to show he was listening.

"Was that a bomb?"

Mac paused for a moment. "I don't know right now."

"Oh." Adam looked around again and couldn't help but let his hands shake. "It's funny. I come out of the lab today, and…"

Mac smiled grimly. "Ironic. That's closer." He turned to look down the other side of the hall, then froze. Adam watched him. Mac raised his gun slightly, then yelled, "NYPD!"

Adam could start to see the shadow. It slunk back down the hall slowly, as though afraid. Adam could hear a gentle clicking noise.

Mac put a hand back to touch Adam. He still didn't turn away. "Go inside. Tell Stella to cuff the guy and get out."

Adam nodded and ran back into the room. Stella already had the man turned around, pressed hard against the wall, handcuffing him. Adam glanced out the door quickly.

The ticking seemed louder inside the room.

It took him a minute to understand why, and when he did, he shouted to Stella and Hawkes. "Move!"

Stella turned backwards, confused, then grabbed the man and pulled him through the frame of the door. Adam shoved Hawkes through the door, causing him to nearly trip into the wall across from the door. Adam, feeling like a skittish cat, jumped out of the room and tried to usher them down the hall to where Mac was. Stella pulled at the man, trying to get him to move until Hawkes joined her. He seemed to want to stay still.

The ringing and ticking sounded like an egg timer going off. Adam shut his eyes, scared, then threw himself into the ground. He had seen people do it in movies before, and his mind felt too detached to think his actions through anymore.

When nothing came, he paused and looked up from his lying position. Stella and Hawkes still pulled at the man behind him, and Adam took his hands off from the top of his head. Mac stood just a few yards away, moving to help Stella and Hawkes move the man. The shadow from across the hall was gone.

Stella paused, then let Mac grab hold of the man before running back into the room.

"Stella!" Mac yelled at her.

Adam tried to cover his head again as he heard the deafening roar of splintering wood and breaking foundation. A board hit his back, causing him to let out a groan and cover his head again. It felt as though an earthquake was going through the building, raising the ground and breaking the walls as they fall down onto the ground. He shut his eyes tight, tried to close off his lungs from the dust and smoke that filled the air.

It felt like minute before the explosion finally stopped, and they were left with the sounds of the wood continuing to fall onto them. Adam groaned again and tried to army-crawl his way forward. His legs stung painfully.

He managed the throw the boards off him and fought for breath. He looked at his ankles, afraid of what he would see. His pants were burnt, a bit frayed, but his legs were fine under a few burns.

"Mac?" he called, then sat up. "Stella? Guys?"

A hand pushed a board aside, and Adam could see Hawkes pull his way through the rubble. "Here," he said with a cough. "Think the police are still on their way?"

Adam couldn't help but smirk as he fought to stand. He grabbed Hawkes' hand to help him up. "Thanks," Hawkes said as he got to his feet. He looked around. "Help me."

He bent to pick up a board, then tossed it lightly to the side, past where Adam had gotten up. "Least it wasn't a big bomb," he said quietly as he grabbed another. Adam nodded and bent to help.

A few feet from where they dug, Mac pushed away splintered wood and thin pieces of wall. He coughed and got to his feet before Adam noticed him. Hawkes stopped and took long steps to get to him.

"Suspect's right here," Mac said between coughs, then grabbed at an arm. He moved a few boards to uncover the unconscious man's face. "Think he's fine. Where's Stella?"

Hawkes glanced at Mac, then took quick steps over to the room. The doorframe was broken and shattered, leaving sharp splinters and bent nails from where the door hinge was.

Adam stood next to Mac for a few minutes. "Guess it was a bomb," he said, trying to force a smile. Mac had no reaction. "I'll go check to see if the cops are here yet."

Mac nodded but didn't watch Adam as he started to walk down the hall. He paused when he heard a crashing from inside the room, then breathed easily when he realized it was only Hawkes moving the boards.

His breath caught in his throat again when Hawkes peered out of the room, his face framed with the splintered wood, and said, "If they're here, get them to bring a paramedic."

_(Trades)_

Adam looked at his bandaged ankles and tapped them together to hear the muffled sound. Judy Garland skipped through his mind, wearing her famous ruby red slippers as she sang, "There's no place like home!"

He glanced sideways at Hawkes, who sat with his head bowed over his hands. He looked down the hall with a stoic expression, though Adam could see his fingers twitch.

Mac paced up and down the hall for a moment, then stopped at the end of the bench. He sat down, perched on the edge of it, his shoulders hunched enough to betray his nervousness, but still low enough that Adam had to wonder how he could look so calm.

They had been there for the past hour, sitting, waiting. None of them had gotten out of the explosion unharmed: Hawkes had a bandage on his arm, covering dark red burns and a deep cut, and Mac had stitches running across his cheek under his right eye as well as along his collarbone.

The doors at the end of the hall opened, and Adam didn't bother to look up. They weren't coming from the ER, but from outside.

Danny and Lindsay stood over the group, both with worried looks on their faces.

"Where's Stella?" Danny asked quickly.

"She had gone back into the room," Hawkes answered quietly. His eyes were still concentrated on the wooden doors before them where they had last seen Stella on a stretcher go through. "Wanted to grab the last of the evidence to put the guy away."

"Where is he?" Lindsay asked.

"Patched him up and sent him to prison. Still working on finding the guy who started the bomb."

They nodded, and Lindsay sat in a chair opposite the rest of them. Danny remained standing as Mac had, walking across the hall, turning on his heel, walking back.

"Can't believe she did that," Mac whispered, and he sounded angry. "We didn't _need_ the evidence as much as we needed to get out."

"Don't, Mac," Hawkes said with warning in his voice. He touched Mac's shoulder, causing him to wince. Hawkes didn't move his hand. "It's been long enough. We'll hear something soon."

Mac clasped his hands together and nodded absently.

Adam look across Hawkes to see Mac. "Mac?"

He looked up.

"You alright?"

Mac nodded again, his hands still clasped tightly. Adam could see Danny sit down from the corner of his eye.

The doors opened, and a doctor walked out. She was a short woman with light hair and a thin mouth. "I'm Doctor Warner," she said quietly as the doors slammed shut after her. "Is there a next of kin or power of attorney for Ms. Bonasera?"

Adam looked along the row of them, curious. Mac looked up.

"I am. Power of attorney." His hands fell into his lap, though they were still clasped. Adam gave Mac a curious look, though he seemed not to notice. It seemed strange that Stella would give that responsibility to someone unrelated to her.

"We'll need some forms," Warner told him, marking down on a clipboard. "You're Mac Taylor, correct?"

Mac nodded. "I can run down to -"

Hawkes stood up. "I'll get them for you. Where are they?"

"They'd be at the lab." Mac reached into his pocket and pulled out a keychain. Hawkes took it. "With the files. It should be in both of ours."

He gave Mac a last nod as he left out of the doors Danny and Lindsay had entered through.

"How's she doing?" Mac asked.

Warner bit the inside of her cheek and leaned to the side, the clipboard on her hip. "Legally, I can't tell you until we have those forms."

"We're just asking for if she's fine or not," Danny cut in angrily. Warner turned her head to see him. "Can't you tell us that?"

"It's… more difficult than that." She squinted off to the wall as though thinking. "I can tell you this, though… She's alright."

Adam looked at Mac to see his reaction. Mac didn't move nor smile. He only nodded after a pause.

Warner leaned against a wall. "I'll wait with you while he gets the forms."

Lindsay stood. Adam could see how pale and afraid she looked. "I'm going to head over to the lab to make sure they're finding this guy, alright?" No one had a chance to respond as she walked out the door. Danny watched her, then glanced over to Mac.

"Go ahead," Mac said. "I'll call you."

Danny stood up and jogged down the hall to follow Lindsay. She was already opening the door when he caught up to her, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"You can go if you want to," Mac said to Adam, who jumped.

Adam shook his head. "No. I wanna hear how she's doing."

Mac nodded and looked back down at the ground. Warner sat where Lindsay had been.

"Has she gone into surgery yet?" Mac asked Warner.

She looked back at the doors to the ER, her jaw twitching. "You know I can't answer that." She paused. "No. She can't until we get a decision from you."

Mac looked up sharply. "Isn't time an issue here?"

Warner hesitated again before nodding. "Yes."

Adam could see Mac's profile and the anxious look on his face. "Isn't there a way to make a decision before you get the forms?"

Warner sighed. "No, sir. I'm sorry I can't."

Adam watched her for a moment, feeling no pity for the woman who suddenly seemed smaller and weaker than before. Her mouth was still a tight line on her face, expressionless. He glanced back to Mac, not wanting to look at her any longer.

Mac's lips were in their own tight line, his eyes narrowed slightly. Not quite angry, but not near calm.

"I just need to make sure she gets through this," he whispered. He bent forward again, rubbing his forehead.

Warner didn't move.

"There's a chance she'll die, isn't there?"

Warner hesitated, and Adam felt a surge of anger. "Yes," she answered after a moment. "There is. By the time she got here, she had already lost plenty of blood, and she suffered severe burns. Her lungs aren't functioning correctly from the smoke. Broken bones. It's not getting any better right now."

Adam felt his heart skip a beat, and he quickly glanced back to Mac as though asking her permission to rage at Warner, to feel sad.

Mac stared at Warner. Adam expected him to jump to his feet, to yell at Warner for making Stella wait this long, but he didn't. Mac only leaned back into the chair, his back arched, his face deep in his palms.

Adam stood up angrily, not letting himself feel like an idiot for it. "People always go into surgery without permission from their power of attorney! If she had been in a car crash, would you have waited for Mac?"

Warner watched him calmly. "This is a different matter."

Adam opened his mouth, but Warner cut him off. "We're talking about extreme surgery in this case. There are risks involved. Half of her body could shut down from it. We need a choice on what to operate on first."

Mac let out a low sigh and hunched forward even more. He didn't say a word, but covered his eyes. Adam sat down slowly.

The doors from outside opened and Hawkes entered with a paper in his hand. He looked between the group. "What's going on?"

_(Trades)_

Mac had his feet up next to him on the bench, his knees bent close to his chest, his elbows resting on them. He still covered his face. Adam had never seen him in this position before, and it almost made him think he was underestimating the situation. (_But how could I?_ he asked. _Stella may die. I get that._)

It had been another several hours since Mac made his decision about Stella, telling Warner in a monotonous voice and signing a paper with a shaking hand. It seemed stupid to Adam that a paper could decide a person's fate.

"Hey, Mac," Adam said quietly.

Mac looked up, and Adam could see a light red in the white of his eyes.

Adam hesitated. "You love Stella, don't you?"

Mac paused, his fingers tightening around his shoulders, grabbing at the fabric of his shirt. "Always have," he whispered quietly, and Adam wasn't sure if he only imagined his answer.

The door into the Emergency Room opened, and Warner stepped out. She rubbed her hands together as though the powder from deep inside the gloves still bothered her.

"Mr. Taylor?" she asked, her voice quiet and respectful. She didn't say a word after his name, letting the silence tell them the news.


End file.
